're punting. as president obama said yesterday, it would simply raise the question "do you end funding that helps disabled children or poor children? do i close this naval shipyard or that one?" it is not a solution and even members of the republican caucus have questioned this proposal, and they've said so publicly. and, mr. president, why would they -- the republicans, part of the legislative branch of government -- cede more power to the white house? republicans should give congress true flexibility, flexibility to cut wasteful subsidies, flexibility to close down necessary tax hoo loopholes, and flexibility to ask the richest of the rich to contribute a little bit more. instead, they've completely become inflexible insisting we risk hundreds of thousands of american jobs as well as programs that strengthen families and small businesses across the nation. but that should, mr. president, i'm sorry to say, come as no surprise. as usual, the republicans have put the demands of special interests -- the richest of the rich, people making up to $5 million a year, not being asked to contri
